Home Gaming No guns in Horizon: Zero Dawn to avoid cover shooter mentality

No guns in Horizon: Zero Dawn to avoid cover shooter mentality

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Horizon Aloy

Horizon: Zero Dawn explores what happens after the post-apocalyptic game is over. Thousands of years in our future, how would technology have changed and who would society adapt? I am so keen to hear more about Aloy and her world, but I’m glad to hear that her bow will be the end all, be all, and I won’t be upgrading to a shotgun at any point in the game.

In the new issue of Edge, game director Mathijs De Jonge explains that guns went against Horizon’s personality.

What we saw with these prototypes was that as soon as you give someone a machine gun, it’s just spray and pray. It just becomes a cover shooter. We wanted the player to feel primitive, so we decided that the tribes would have very limited knowledge of technology. They don’t understand what’s going on with these machines, or how they work.

Early prototypes included a character model taking on an early version of the Thunderjaw (that giant robe-dinosaur Aloy fights in the E3 demo) using a machine gun instead of a bow and arrow. It immediately took away from the vulnerability and threatening feeling.

I’m so glad that they made this decision. There are plenty of games with guns on the market. By taking the guns away, they add so much more vulnerability. Sure, Aloy will have her bow and will still be a powerful lady, but this way it makes the game feel that little bit more foreign and unique. Besides, shooting robotic dinosaurs with guns? That’s far too easy.

Last Updated: August 3, 2015

29 Comments

  1. WitWolfy

    August 3, 2015 at 14:33

    All of a sudden this feels like a Shadow of the Colossus remake…

    Reply

  2. WitWolfy

    August 3, 2015 at 14:33

    All of a sudden this feels like a Shadow of the Colossus remake…

    Reply

  3. WitWolfy

    August 3, 2015 at 14:33

    All of a sudden this feels like a Shadow of the Colossus remake…

    Reply

  4. WitWolfy

    August 3, 2015 at 14:33

    All of a sudden this feels like a Shadow of the Colossus remake…

    Reply

  5. WitWolfy

    August 3, 2015 at 14:33

    All of a sudden this feels like a Shadow of the Colossus remake…

    Reply

  6. Umar

    August 3, 2015 at 14:37

    Very very Monster Hunter like, and I love it. Thing with this mentality it forces you to get in close and personal and approach battle scenarios with care and thought. Loving it, this game is easily becoming one of my most anticipated games.

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 3, 2015 at 14:55

      Not MGS ‘Blood soaked edition’?

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 3, 2015 at 14:55

      Not MGS ‘Blood soaked edition’?

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 3, 2015 at 14:55

      Not MGS ‘Blood soaked edition’?

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 3, 2015 at 14:55

      Not MGS ‘Blood soaked edition’?

      Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 3, 2015 at 14:55

      Not MGS ‘Blood soaked edition’?

      Reply

  7. HairyEwok

    August 3, 2015 at 14:39

    At least when you pick up parts to upgrade your bow it will be relevant with all the tech animals around you. Yes I’m looking at you Tomb Raider where you find parts for weapons in a tomb that hasn’t been disturbed for over 2000 years.

    Reply

  8. DragonSpirit009

    August 3, 2015 at 14:58

    I’m all for this!! Keeping it simple with the weapons will in turn will allow you to think more on how you hunt/fight especially in those extreme battle’s which will leave you satisfied in the end!
    Getting more and more excited about this game!!

    Reply

  9. DragonSpirit009

    August 3, 2015 at 14:58

    I’m all for this!! Keeping it simple with the weapons will in turn will allow you to think more on how you hunt/fight especially in those extreme battle’s which will leave you satisfied in the end!
    Getting more and more excited about this game!!

    Reply

  10. DragonSpirit009

    August 3, 2015 at 14:58

    I’m all for this!! Keeping it simple with the weapons will in turn will allow you to think more on how you hunt/fight especially in those extreme battle’s which will leave you satisfied in the end!
    Getting more and more excited about this game!!

    Reply

  11. Greylingad[CNFRMD]

    August 3, 2015 at 15:11

    *Trying to resist buying a PS4 for all of these awesome exclusives*

    Reply

  12. konfab

    August 3, 2015 at 15:27

    Guns are the penile symbols of the patriarchy, that is why they are being excluded :^)

    Reply

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